Just A Lifetime Away
by lala6342
Summary: Tavington lived after the battle with Martin and decided to travel. He meets Anastasia Crowe, a neutral German widow who has a past.
1. Prologue

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_Home_

Just A Lifetime Away

Prologue: Justice

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Ana watched Lucius walk away, she herself wedged between the armoire and wall. Her cheek throbbed and her eye was swollen almost shut, bruises covering her arms and legs and almost everywhere else. He walked outside, muttering about stupid bitches who didn't know their place. She stood slowly, licking her lips, licking the blood off. With glittering green eyes she watched him walk into the barn, his dark brown hair in a pony tail and axe resting over his shoulder. Limping, she walked out to the barn watching him. He had laid the axe down next to the door and was using a metal bar to pry two pieces of wood apart. She walked in quietly, reaching down and picking up the axe.

"Lucius," She said from the doorway, her body leaning to the right as she held the axe.

"What? Why didn't you stay in the house? Start dinner or something like that." He sneered at her and began approaching her, pulling the gloves from his hands. Ana watched him, some primitive part of her mind took over, recognising the action of removing his gloves and connecting it with another beating or worst. She lifted the axe as he approached and, without a moments hesitation, brings it down, burying it in the flesh of his right shoulder. Lucius roared, his hand going to the axe as blood rushed from the wound, covering him, her, and the ground. Eventually he quieted and sank to the ground. Ana turned and walked out, shutting the door behind herself and numbly walked into the house with a bucket of water.

Hours later she emerged dressed in clean clothing and clean herself. She walked to the barn and secured the doors shut, not looking in to see her husband. With a relieved expression she walked over to the lantern she had brought with her and picked it up. Using all the strength in her tall frame she hurtled the burning lantern on the roof of the barn; the wood glowed as it caught fire, soon a roaring orange fire licking the sky above.


	2. Chapter One

home

Just A Lifetime Away

Chapter One

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A golden red sphere set against the barren land, the sky above and around it laced with orange and red threads against the deep blue fabric, stars twinkling like sequences against it. The land it's self, under any normal conditions would be populated with gentle trees, pump red apples weighing the great branches down. Anastasia Crowe stepped off her front porch, her deep green dress matching the cold, poisonous green eyes against her heart shaped face. Her hair was a halo of fire, surrounding her face then cascading down her back. She narrowed her eyes, watching as a lone rider approached her home on the dreary drive.

"Who are you?" She asked once he had stopped in front of her. The man, his eyes like two shards of ice plucked from the North Pole, focussed on her, a grin tugging at his handsome face.

"I'm William Pruitt, I was wonderin', I'm looking-" "I am not interested in what you want, just get off of my property." She interrupted, William giving her a particularly dirty look.

"I was wondering if you would give me room and board." He said and took a step towards her on the porch.

"I noticed you had some work done, I could do some work 'round the house." He offered, regaining control over his temper. Ana regarded him coldly, her face the most perfect mask.

"Very well," She said with a wave of the hand after one long, drawn out minute. She easily drifted down the stairs, taking the reins to his horse and leading them to a small barn. "After you feed your horse come in and I'll feed you." She told him in the straightforward manner, her accent, distinctly German, thinned out by years of the Americas.

Thirty minutes later William, his long dark hair hanging at his shoulders, walked into the house. Ana, sat at the table, reading the post and sipping red wine. She looked up, her expression of trained control, absolute superiority over her home. "Mr. Pruitt, here is wine and fresh fruits, if you would like meat, slaughter your own cow or kill your own chicken." She said bluntly and returned to her reading. William regarded her a moment, tugging at his collar as it pressed against his neck, against the distinct scar searing his skin. "Where is the lord of this manor?" He asked casually, sitting across from her and reached out, picking up a ripe peach. Ana watched him over her reading as he, his eyes half shut as he gazed down at the fuzzy fruit, gently grazed his thumb over it's soft skin.

"There is no lord of this manor Mr. Pruitt, I am a widow." She said, flicking her eyes back down before he looked up, fixing her attractive face with his eyes. "And there isn't suitors calling on you?" He asked, knowing it could very well be an inappropriate question but, being a man known for being rude and inappropriate at times, was not bothered. She sighed and looked up at him, her vibrant, poisonous green eyes staring directly into his. "I will not be bothered by silly little boys, sir." She said with all the haughty arrogance she seemed to possess, yet another facet of the mask. William stared back into those green eyes with his own, careful not to loose himself in the green orbs, which seemed to glow on her ivory face. Instead a slow, one sided grin started on his face, his gaze not wavering.

Ana stared back defiantly, not planning on having the authority she had established challenged, especially by him. But, as she stared into those shards of ice, she started slipping, loosing herself and the foundation she had so carefully made begin to crumble, those eyes slowly breaking her. She blinked and looked away, looking down at the post and more than a little shaken as she regained her cool composure, not a simple task with his mesmerizing eyes sucking in every detail of her face.


End file.
